Genes could help vulnerable trees survive climate change

PBS featured UBC forestry research that examined the genetic basis for how the two most planted trees in western Canada adapt to the climate.

The lodgepole pine and interior spruce are highly valued by the timber industry, which is required to reforest public lands they’ve harvested.

“As we think about shifting trees across the landscape, we’ve got to make sure they can handle the cold temperatures that they’re going to experience early in their lives,” said Sally Aitken, a UBC forestry professor and study author. “We have to be careful about moving too far too fast.”